


Reaching Out

by foreverfangirlwrites



Series: How We Could Have Met [1]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe, And ofc blue cookies, Fluff, One Shot, Percy is a fashion designer, Re-Meeting, Reunion, Sally Jackson knows whats up, accurate description of instagram, because I used a random line generator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-10-14 19:59:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17515046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foreverfangirlwrites/pseuds/foreverfangirlwrites
Summary: A box of dolls, an attic that needs cleaning, and some old photographs leave Percy with a shot in the dark and a little bit of hope in his heart





	Reaching Out

As a child, he’d been told dolls are for girls. Well it didn’t stop him, or he wouldn’t be one of the pillars of the fashion world right now. And currently the successful designer was holding said dolls in question staring at the wild idea of an outfit his six-year-old self had concluded was “cute.” 

Actually, the flower print wasn’t too bad…he made a mental note and continued his cleaning of his mother’s attic.

Percy Jackson’s name might be plastered everywhere, clothes, purses, and more recently colognes and perfumes but he was to this day a devoted son, and when the words Percy Jackson came from his mother’s mouth he was there. 

The attic did need a good cleaning, and his mom, while unable to do the heavy lifting of boxes, would participate by bringing him blue cookies which was honestly all the help he needed. 

He packed up the dolls, and the copious amounts of clothes for the dolls, and set them in a fresh box. He stared for a moment longer in contemplation whether they would be kept out of nostalgia or donated so some other girl or boy could realize their dream. 

His contemplation was cut short however from a flash of bright orange in his peripheral. The sun had started streaming in through the small, glazed window and had struck a photograph that was being held down by an old camera.

He moved towards it and picked it up. 

A giant wooden sign read “Camp Half-Blood” and a group of kids all wearing bright orange shirts stood underneath it. He spotted his messy dark hair immediately and smiled at the toothy grin his eleven-year old self was giving. 

His eyes wandered from himself to the person standing next to him and his heart almost stopped. Curly blonde hair and a confident smile. Annabeth. 

He picked up another photograph from the small pile he had discovered and the next one featured a closer up version of the two of them. Arms around each other with happy smiles and still wearing the bright orange t-shirts. 

He could see her eyes better now, the stormy grey that had captivated young him, he wondered if they were still like that. 

Annabeth Chase had been his best friend at that summer camp and, if he was being honest, kind of a crush too. She was one of the first people to really welcome him in (she had been going to the camp for much longer) and she was the reason he came back every year till he was fifteen. 

He never really forgot about her. She would crop up in his thoughts every now and then, but seeing the old photographs, well that was a nostalgia trip. 

God, he missed her. They would do the most strategized dumbest shit (strategized because of her and dumb because of him) ever in camp and he was pretty sure the camp director was both exasperated and impressed with the things they accomplished. 

They even kept in touch out of camp for a bit, sending emails, before somehow it all just stopped. It was probably just school and life getting in the way but he really wished he’d been better about it, tried harder.

“Percy! How are you doing up there?” his mother’s voice broke him out of his thoughts, and he moved to look down at her. 

“Good, it’s going good,” he called back.

She smiled at him. “Great, the cookies are almost done too by the way.”

He shot her an excited grin, the one that took her back to when he was a boy, and she laughed. 

Moving back into the attic space, he picked up the dolls again and decided to keep his inspirations.

-.-.-.-.- 

“Most of it is my stuff,” he admitted to his mother over cookies later on. He had gotten through a significant amount of stuff and was taking a break.

“I know, it’s why I asked you to go through it,” she replied. 

He nodded, stuffing his face, thoughts back to the photographs in his pocket. His mother must have noticed the faraway look because she asked.

“What are you thinking about Percy?”

Still chewing the blue-y, chocolate-y goodness, he pulled out the photographs and set them on the table. 

“Ah.” Was all she said.

“What?” he asked, noting her twinkling eyes and warm smile.

“Annabeth, you really liked her didn’t you?”

He blushed even though that had been years ago and ate another cookie.

“Take a moment to breathe Percy,” his mother chided, before continuing, “and no use hiding, I always knew you liked her. I don’t blame you, she was a very smart and charming girl.”

“I wonder what she’s up to now, or she even remembers me,” he finally said.  
His mother shrugged. “I’m sure she remembers you, you don’t tend to forget best friends even if you lose contact. And you could always find out.”

He gave her a surprised look. 

“You could? Especially with all the Facebook and Instagram and whatever else people are using nowadays, I’m sure you could find her.”

She had a point, he could try. He could always try.

-.-.-.-.- 

Percy Jackson was in his office looking very focused and surely he was about to design something new, or so the secretary whispered round.

In actuality he had his unisex line open on a tab and the others were perusing through Facebook and Instagram trying to find a one Annabeth Chase.

And somehow even social media was failing him because no matter what he typed or where he searched, he couldn’t find her. Facebook was a dead end and he had at least ten different possible Annabeth’s on Instagram, five of who were private profiles and didn’t have a profile picture of the person. 

He leaned back with a sigh. She would be the kind to have everything on private. He was never going to find her like this. Even when they were talking they used to send emails and-

Wait. 

He quickly moved back towards the screen and started typing. Damn, what was that password. After a few minutes of attempting and a password reset he was in.  
The old email account stared back at him with dozens of email chains from mostly just Annabeth. He started reading through a few.

_This idea is so dumb. Buuttt, if we were to pull it off we would have to sneak in round back when she would be at archery and we would need to bring the shaving cream with us beforehand and make sure to dump it in the Stolls cabin’s garbage._

He smiled as he remembered the particular prank played on a rather mean member of one of the other cabins who had tried to shove his face in a toilet his first day and was only saved by Annabeth Chase herself. 

Most of the other emails started off like that, stating how dumb the idea was but then proposing a viable plan to execute it. She honestly had been his biggest supporter. 

The other ones were pretty normal, talking about school and life.

_Yeah my math teacher is horrible. He doesn’t know what he’s talking about and every time I correct him he glares at me. How are things with you? Hopefully you don’t have any horrible teachers._

Annabeth always had an affinity for math, and the one teacher, if he remembered correctly, was actually horrible and she wrote about him often.

The last email they had sent was sent from him spaced months apart and read:

_He seems great, hope you have fun_

Oh yeah. Now he remembered. Annabeth had gotten a boyfriend, something that had upset Percy. She used to rave about him and slowly his annoyance and jealousy made him drift further away till they stopped talking.

God, he had been so stupid. 

He took a deep breath, well what was done was done. Now all he had was this, this old email that he doubted she ever checked anymore.

It was a long shot, and for some reason he felt nervous, but he was going to try. He was hopeful. Maybe even stupidly so. But hey, it was the start of a new year, and why not try?

He opened a new draft:

_Hey Annabeth,_

_I don’t know if you remember me but-_

-.-.-.-.- 

A few weeks later he was in a rather boring business meeting with some investors or financers or something of the sort that he wasn’t in the mood to see or really understood quite frankly when a notification popped up on his laptop.

Reply from: WiseGirl731

He choked on air at the sight and started coughing. Everyone turned to look at him.

“I’m sorry,” he managed through coughs, “I just” cough “need a second” cough. And with that he shut his laptop and walked out of the meeting room.

In the safety of the bathroom he pulled out his phone to read the email.

_Hey Percy,_

_Of course I remember you! We were partners in crime at camp. I’m surprised to hear from you after all these years, it’s been forever. How are things going? How’s your mother? I can’t believe you remembered this email, I’m still signed in on my old laptop so I don’t check it that often so sorry for the delay in response. Hope to hear from you soon._

_Annabeth_

His heart was racing as he read through. She had replied! She had remembered him! He was actually speaking to Annabeth Chase! He hadn’t felt this excited since is Blue Cookies line. 

Willing his heart to calm down he quickly wrote out a reply, answering her questions and asking for her number for easier communication. 

And oh right, he was in a meeting. 

Fuck.

He hurried out, making excuses for the coughing and not hearing a single word of the meeting, thoughts solely on Annabeth.

-.-.-.-.- 

He was always told to be careful of who he gave his personal number to but Annabeth Chase was an exception to every rule and soon they were texting and very easily falling back into the routine teasing.

_How could I forget you when your name is in every store I walk into? :P_

He made a face and he could imagine the mirth in her voice. 

_Shut up, idk, maybe you forgot I existed_

The reply came right away:

_Nah can’t forget the guy who almost got his face shoved into a toilet on the first day_

_We don’t talk about that!_

But soon they had gone through the nostalgia and Percy’s heart was racing again as he held out hope for something that might also be stupid. 

_Hey, I was wondering, since we have a lot to catch up on, would you like to meet up sometime?_

The reply didn’t come till may hours later during which he was totally sane and calm and didn’t drink two cups of coffee.

_Yeah, I’d love to! Sorry for the late reply I was in a meeting_

The sigh of relief could be felt throughout the building.

-.-.-.-.- 

The relief didn’t last long because he was meeting Annabeth today and what was he going to wear! The fashion designer suddenly had no clothing and an empty closet, probably because the closet had been emptied out onto the floor with each discarded item.

He could wear his own clothes but maybe that’s pretentious? But he doesn’t want to look like a slob to go meet her either in case she feels like he doesn’t care. But they’re only meeting at a coffee shop. 

He sighed in frustration and then panicked because he had wasted an hour and he was supposed to see her in fifteen minutes.

In a new wave of panic, he chose dark blue jeans and a black and white shirt from his unisex line and rushed out without bothering to fix his hair. 

Twenty minutes later found him hurrying into a coffee shop and losing his breath at the sight of long gorgeous curly blonde hair, pink smile and familiar stormy grey eyes that certainly still held the power to captivate him.

He stumbled over a chair on his walk to her and she smiled. 

“Still a seaweed brain I see,” she teased as he somehow managed to sit down.

“I..uh..” he couldn’t really speak properly because holy fuck he was seeing Annabeth Chase and she was still as charming as ever.

The crush he had fostered long ago came sweeping back with force.

She gave him a weird look and he finally found his words. 

“Sorry, I just, it’s so great to see you again.”

She gave a warm smile at the words. “It’s good to see you too.” Then she took in his slightly rumpled appearance.

“And good to see you haven’t changed, don’t know what I expected from a famous fashion designer.” There was a teasing tilt in her voice, and it was exactly how he had imagined it.

“You haven’t changed either, just gotten more beautiful.” 

She seemed surprised at the statement and a blush overtook her cheeks. He decided he wanted to see that blush more often.

“Oh, shut up,” she mumbled taking a sip of her coffee.

“It’s true, I’ve always thought so. You were always so smart and confident, the brains of our crazy plans. It added to your beauty.”

He’s not sure what’s compelled him to say all this out loud and he feels like he’s walking a line here but he’s holding out hope. He’s been holding out hope this entire time.

“I’m sorry,” he continued, “I don’t mean to sound…pushy. I’m just finally saying how I felt…feel.”

He paused and she looked at him to continue.

“I never forgot you, you know, and I’ve always wondered if I’d ever get to see you again and how you’d be. And I may be absolutely dumb for hoping since you probably have someone else in your life or maybe just don’t feel the same way, but I’d love to spend more time with you…and…” he trailed off without finishing the statement. 

He couldn’t bring himself to look at her right away and there was a moment of silence before she spoke.

There was a blush on her cheeks, and she spoke slowly. “The plans were usually your idea you know, you were always the creative one. I never forgot you either, and when your fashion line took off, I couldn’t escape you if I wanted. I wondered if you’d changed. But your Blue Cookies line came out and I wondered, maybe he’s still the same seaweed brain. The one that was pretty cute…and has gotten quite handsome.”

She winked. “I’ve always thought so.”

Of all the things that Percy had hoped for (despite the low chances) when he reached out to an old friend, he never thought that a few weeks later would find him in his mother’s kitchen with blue cookies, old photographs, a box of dolls and Annabeth Chase by his side.

(Maybe the one in a million chances were in his favor because not long after she was Annabeth Jackson.)

**Author's Note:**

> And there you have it, what did you think? I thought it would be nice to start the year off with some hope, some reaching out and a nice little re-meet oneshot. I think the idea of taking a chance or reaching out to someone is something we all think about but rarely execute. But you never know what can come of it so maybe it’s worth trying out!
> 
> Also I plan on updating this series monthly, so I'll see you guys soon!
> 
> Please comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts! And thanks for reading!


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